


On the Up and Up

by tsunbathing (bluebelle)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/F, Jazz Age, POV Lesbian Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:01:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebelle/pseuds/tsunbathing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The twenties are roaring and Amelia is enjoying it to the fullest. Audra is out of her element, newly arrived to a place that's completely different from everything she knows. They hit the town together, and Audra realizes she might not be so badly suited to this life after all.</p><p>Human names, Amelia for America and Audra for Lithuania. Is this a human AU? You decide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Audra was the last person anyone expected to see at a speakeasy on a Friday night. It was obvious from the way they looked at her, eyes sticking and then sliding off. She stood at the edge of the room and clutched her drink.

Amelia, the reason she was here, seemed oblivious to her discomfort. She radiated energy from the center of the room as she danced and chatted with anyone who came her way. Just as Audra thought her friend had forgotten about her, Amelia returned to her side as if she had been there the whole time. Audra raised one eyebrow at her and she looked confused. Her lower lip pouted out slightly as she spoke. “What’s eating you? You don’t come to a joint like this just to blend into the wallpaper.”

Audra was feeling like a stranger. Her hesitant way of speaking immediately marked her as an immigrant, but she had found that other things were different as well. Most girls her age were chopping off their hair and wearing dresses that showed off slim arms and legs. They were smoking and drinking like men, going out to places like this and dancing the night away with complete strangers. Audra wasn’t sure she wanted that life.

“I need some air,” she replied, struggling to be heard over the sound of the party. The smoke was making her dizzy, but the hour and the alcohol in her blood told her to go do something impulsive. She couldn’t do it here. Everyone in the dark room seemed to know each other, and she felt caged and alone.

Her desperation must have shone on her face. It always did. Amelia grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door. They wove through dancing couples as if they were dancing themselves, and Audra realized with a slight ache that she should have asked Amelia while they were there. The night air was cooler than she remembered, and crisp. She took a huge gasp of it and let it calm her nerves.

“Alright, baby, where do you want to go?” Amelia pitched her voice low like one of the men at the party, and Audra chuckled. They wandered down the street arm in arm. Their heels clicking was the only sound. It was late, and most sensible people were in bed, but Audra wasn’t sure she was feeling sensible that night. She listened to Amelia’s breathing.

She shouldn’t be so close to this girl. Audra was working as a secretary in Amelia’s house, but the real job description was more extensive than a secretary’s. The word servant floated to her mind, but she pushed it away. Amelia didn’t seem the type for servants. She allowed herself to be friendly with people who by all rights should be lower than she was. She didn’t seem to believe in class. That thought was more intimidating to Audra than comforting, but she was trying to adjust to it. She had never met anyone like Amelia.

Audra was considering asking to go home when she heard the music. It seemed like it was coming from the very pavement of the city. They passed a man playing his trumpet on a corner and Audra couldn’t help but stop to listen. She had heard jazz before, but this was freer than she knew it could be. The tempo matched up to her heartbeat and she grabbed Amelia’s hand on a sudden impulse. The confused look on her friend’s face melted into a grin as Audra twirled her around. The man gave them a private concert and they gave him a dance show in return, their laughter echoing off the buildings.

They danced three more songs together before Amelia slipped all the money she had with her into the man’s hat. Her smile was infectious, and, Audra thought, easier than it had been in the smoky bar. She took off her shoes and leaned on Audra slightly as they walked home.

It was difficult for to tell how much Amelia had to drink, but Audra thought she should walk her to her room just in case. Sharing a house made this relatively simple, and luckily Amelia didn’t protest. She chatted the whole way about people she had met and music she had heard. 

She cut off suddenly as they reached her door, and she stood tall and looked at Audra. Both of them stood quietly, unwilling to move. Audra took the opportunity to really look at her friend for the first time that evening. There was a shyness in her eyes Audra had never seen before. It clashed with the bold blue dress and heavy kohl lining her eyes, but suited the girl underneath better than any of it.

Audra realized then how close they were. Amelia leaned slightly on the door frame and Audra stood just half a step away. Her heart jumped into her throat as she considered all the things she could do. The Audra in her imagination, always the bolder one, whispered something teasing in her friend’s ear, lips brushing the soft skin of her neck.

Her face heated up and she tried to push the fantasy away. She couldn’t think about such things, and certainly not right in front of Amelia. She was still watching, her expression more curious now than anything. Audra wondered what her face had given away this time.

When Amelia pressed their lips together, Audra was too shocked at first to react. It was gentler than she had imagined. Audra expected to smell smoke or taste bourbon. Instead her friend was clean, her lips sweet and obliging. She allowed herself to close her eyes and savor it.

It was over far too soon, and Amelia wore her uncertain expression again. “Was that okay, doll?” she wondered. The smallest of frowns drew one corner of her mouth down.

Audra wanted nothing more than to kiss that frown away and show Amelia just how okay it was. She forced herself to breathe. Slowly, carefully, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to her friend’s cheek. The smile on her face lit on Amelia’s too, and they stood there a moment together, unsure how to move forward.

___

This time it was Audra who closed the distance between them. Amelia’s breath rushed out of her in a hot gasp as they kissed again, Audra’s hand on her hip pulling their bodies together. She hadn’t realized her friend could be so forward, but she didn’t want it to stop.

She led the way into her room blindly. The bed creaked as they flopped onto it, and the sound drew a breathless giggle out of Audra. Amelia grinned at her and kissed her again. The uncertainty she had felt earlier was gone, replaced by the knowledge that Audra wanted this as much as she did. The thought sent a thrill through her belly.

Amelia slid a hand up her friend’s thigh, relishing the gasp it produced. She removed the stockings carefully (wool, of course, Audra was so old-fashioned) and leaned to kiss the pale, exposed skin. Audra _sighed_ , not the usual frustrated sigh but a contented sound, one she hoped to cause again.

She fumbled with dress fastenings and shimmied out of her shift. Audra’s clothes were more work. Her figure was too feminine to be suited to the styles flapper girls wore. She had opted for a deep green number that hugged her waist instead. Amelia thought it suited her better than anything Audra could have borrowed from her own collection of daring silhouettes.

They finally broke free from a tangle of straps and lace and sat gazing at each other. Audra’s cheeks were flushed. In embarrassment or excitement, Amelia wasn’t sure, but Audra kissed her again and the question left her mind.

She was completely overwhelmed by the heat of Audra’s body against her own. Amelia kissed her again desperately. Her own fingers itched to discover the wetness between her friend’s legs, to make her jerk and moan and sigh again, but she tried to keep that desire to herself. She didn’t want to scare Audra away now that she had her.

Audra eased a hand between her thighs and she let out a whine. Her hips shuddered forward and she clung to her friend, kissing her cheeks and lips as if she would never get another chance. She slid a thigh between Audra’s legs and rubbed, slowly, drawing out a surprised moan. Her fingers wandered into Audra’s hair and set it loose. She watched the dark waves fan out over her friend’s shoulders.

Audra quickly proved she wasn’t as demure as she seemed in situations like this. She ground down against Amelia’s thigh and looked up into her face. The glint in her eye was predatory and almost smug. Amelia knew she must looked wrecked, curls sticking to flushed cheeks and chest heaving in sharp gasps. With a twist of Audra’s fingers she was begging, please, just there, just a little more—and she came with her friend’s name on her lips, the world going black as her eyelids fluttered closed.

When she could breathe again she grasped for more kisses, pulling Audra close and spreading her legs. She was so wet it made Amelia flush again; she must have self-control to get that far and continue to focus on someone else. Amelia’s fingers slipped into her easily and she moaned her desperation into Amelia’s neck, hips rocking erratically. She sighed again sweetly as she came, her arms around Amelia’s waist. She leaned into Amelia’s chest and rested there.

Amelia couldn’t have said when they fell asleep, but when she woke up the next morning Audra wasn’t in bed with her. Before she could register the sting of loneliness, Audra knocked on the door and bustled in, bearing a tray laid out with breakfast. She nestled back into bed at Amelia’s side. Her lips brushed Amelia’s forehead. “I thought you might be hungry,” she offered as explanation. Her voice was warm and soothing, and Amelia was tempted to curl up in her arms again and sleep. She did, but only after breakfast.

(And a few replays of the previous night’s activities.)

(For such a quiet girl, Amelia found, Audra could get loud.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on the up and up - something that's cool or exciting
> 
> what's eating you - what's wrong
> 
> doll and baby also carry the connotation of the speaker being attracted to the person they're talking to (or liking them a lot)
> 
> a note about flapper culture in the 20s:
> 
> Lithuania's objection to the newest fashions were common at the time, because just a few years earlier women's clothes had been radically different. The hourglass figure was popular before about 1918, and women kept their limbs covered and their hair long. When the 20s came around, many young girls (known as flappers) chopped off their hair and wore boxy dresses that moved when they danced. They also smoked, drank, and wore heavy makeup as fashion statements. This was widely thought by older generations to be immoral. Even girls who didn't partake in flapper culture began to wear looser-fitting and low-waisted dresses, and nylon stockings became the new "must-have" item to show off bare legs. The bob haircut was another scandalous fashion choice many girls made, fueled by the popularity of the cloche hat.
> 
> Basically, the 20s was a time when young women fought against preconceived notions about what women should do and be. Standards of beauty changed drastically. (Oh, and there was that little thing about voting rights in the United States that sparked a lot of it off.) Of course America would want to be a part of all that!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amelia has a moment of doubt. Audra tries to consolidate two relationships with one person. They've been together a week, but everything still feels uncertain.

Amelia looked into the office. Audra had mostly taken the room over since her arrival, and it bore touches of her everywhere. The small vase of flowers Amelia had gotten her a few days ago still looked fresh. Audra had put them where she could see them easily.

Audra herself was sitting at the desk, talking on the phone. She smiled at Amelia and scrawled a note before hanging up. Silence stretched between them, and Amelia considered what she wanted.

In three strides she was across the room and kissing Audra fiercely. Surprise was all over the brunette's face, but the way she kissed back was anything but displeased.

Amelia didn't bother trying to fumble with the buttons of Audra's dress. Instead she cupped a breast through the fabric and squeezed. Audra let out a gasp that sent a thrill though her. Her other hand slid up Audra's thigh, and she realized with a jolt of amusement that her lover was wearing the nylon stockings Amelia had become fond of.  
___

Her lover had been shy when they first started this, Audra remembered. Amelia had looked at her body as if she hadn't known how to proceed. If she was feeling shy now, she certainly didn't show it.

Amelia was on her knees under the desk, her face buried between Audra's thighs. Audra had thrown one leg over the blonde's shoulder, and she tried to use it to pull her closer as Amelia's teeth grazed her clit. She shuddered and cried out, her hands tight on the edge of the desk.

She couldn't quite see what Amelia was doing with her mouth, but the sensations running through her belly and up her back were more than enough to make up for that. Amelia's tongue circled her and slid down further, producing a wet sound. Everything seemed too real, too hot and too close. At some point Amelia started making more noise, and Audra was almost sure it was on purpose.

Audra reached a hand down to caress Amelia's hair, gripping it hard in surprise as her lover slipped her tongue inside her. Her hips jerked up and she could have sworn she heard Amelia laugh. Amelia's hands were tight on Audra's hips as she eased her tongue in and out. She made desperate little noises, gasps and moans, as if she was the one being driven out of her mind by heat. Audra's toes curled against Amelia's back.

She gave no warning before she came. It was so intense it hurt, her nerves tingling as though she had been burned. She laid her head on the desk, her breath fogging the bright wood.

Amelia waited patiently, which impressed some part of her. She pulled Amelia up into her lap and kissed her, one hand already reaching under her nightgown. She was naked underneath, and Audra's fingers slid so severely when they found their aim that she wondered if Amelia might have needed nothing more than kissing to finish what she'd started. The taste on Amelia's lips must be her, she realized, and flushed. She squeezed Amelia's thigh and pushed her fingers in deep. The blonde trembled and soon she was whining in Audra's ear, her orgasm hot and wet on Audra's hand.  
___

A question Audra hadn't asked stretched between them. Amelia decided to answer. "You weren't there when I woke up." Her tone was sheepish. She had only meant to get Audra's reassurance, but she had gotten carried away.

Amelia didn't see Audra for most of the day. She knew it was probably coincidence, but something about it seemed strange. Audra was a hard worker, but Amelia had expected she would take breaks, or at least go for coffee. (Both women were slightly addicted to the stuff.) She had expected chance meetings in the hall and stolen kisses. Instead she met Audra in the kitchen in the evening.

The first thing she noticed was the apron. The second was that Audra was humming, and she recognized the song as the one they had danced to the week before. The memory brought a smile to her face. She crossed the room and buried her nose in Audra's hair. The brunette barely reacted, but Amelia could hear the smile in her greeting.

They were quiet at dinner, as if they were both waiting for the other to speak first. Audra finally broke the silence. Her eyes were on her plate, but she glanced up and held Amelia's eyes as she spoke. "What happened earlier...we can't do that again." For a horrible moment Amelia thought she meant they couldn't do it _at all_ , but then she went on. "I'm still your employee. Regardless of anything else, I have to work for you to earn my keep."

At least that explained the distance Audra had kept between them. She wanted to tell Audra that it was fine, she could stay there however long she wanted and everything would be taken care of. The brunette had already done so much for her that the insistence on work seemed absurd. As soon as the thought came to her mind, though, she knew Audra wouldn't accept it. She enjoyed her work. It was obvious by how well and willingly she did everything. And, Amelia mused, any replacement she would get to do the same work would be a disappointment after Audra's neat handwriting and pleasant attitude. She pushed the idea away.

Audra was speaking again. "I know it's not ideal," she said, and there was pink in her cheeks that hadn't been there a moment before. "I'm trying." Amelia realized that her lover was blaming herself for the situation, when it had been Amelia who put her in such an awkward position. They needed boundaries.

___

When Amelia woke the next morning, Audra was sitting next to her, reading. She apparently hadn't left the room at all, and her hair was still mussed from sleep. The blonde smiled and curled up against her lover's side.


End file.
